The Representations of God Ash on Wine Jar Seals

The Ancient Egyptians were surrounded by various manifestations of their many gods. This study deals with the representations of God Ash who is one of the minor deities on the jar seals. He was considered the god of the western desert including its oases which gave him dual nature and connected him with God Seth who also had a dual nature. The relation between both gods increased in the reign of king Peribsen who replaced the god Hours on the serekh and put Seth instead. In particular Ash was identified by the Ancient Egyptians as the god of the Tehenu, known as the people of the oasis as well as Lord of the Land of the Olive Tree. Consequently, it is also possible that he was worshiped in Ombos, as their original chief deity before the arrival of Seth as its major God. By the late 2 nd Dynasty his importance had grown and was seen as a protector of the royal estates. He was known from the Early Dynastic period, upon wine jar seals excavated by Petrie in 1923 expedition to Saqqara. The current study aims at discussing the representations of the god Ash on wine jar seals and the potential relation to jar content. In order to achieve the aim a descriptive analytical methodology was employed.